Castiel's Cat
by msarahv
Summary: Castiel loves his cat and now he can't find it anywhere. So, he puts up an ad.
1. Chapter 1

Castiel had lost his cat.

It wasn't that it had gone gallivanting (after all there wasn't much left to gallivant with), as Castiel always kept it indoors. He lived in a big two-stairs loft, with plenty of soft things to nap onto and he even had a wall covered with planks that the cat could use to get some exercise of. It did, frequently, and sometimes Castiel was attacked by a lose furry canon ball, launched from this convenient platform.

All in all they were happy together. When the front door was opened, the cat raised an uninterested head, looked for a second, then went back to licking the rest of its groin area. Castiel admired him and wished he didn't have to take showers or bath either. Doing your ablutions in your bed was far preferable, but he didn't have the right tongue. He knew, for the few times when the cat licked Castiel's hand, that it was a thick, raspy tongue. Cat's spit wasn't very agreeable, though, so he would run to the sink to wash it.

But yesterday, his hand stayed clean and his pants hair-less, which never happened. And today, as he conducted a full research of the place, he came face to face with a full food bowl. It made Castiel so worried, he sat down on the wooden floor in shock.

The problem was, his cousin, Gabriel, had just stayed over, left the day before, and he was... childish. Castiel wished he could be so frivolous all the time, but then, who would face the consequences like he did? They always came. For example, cats disappeared.

It was a while before he gave up. The cat was small, it could fit anywhere, even in a drawer or a small cupboard. Or on top of the wardrobe maybe... ? No, still nothing.

So, the next day, Castiel ignored the sense of lead dripping down his guts and headed to the vet, well, to his hall at least. He stapled the ad (with a photo on it that made the cat look like an angry demon with red eyes) and his phone number on little pre-cut notes. The vet secretary was very helpful, even proposing she tells him of any litter he could be interested to look at (it didn't help at all to lift Castiel's mood of course, but he still smiled politely.)

In the evening, he got a text from an unknown number:

'Ur cat looks creepy'

Castiel frowned and typed a lengthy response as always, using two texts at once

'I beg your pardon, but who are you? How did you get this number? I do indeed look for my cat, would you by any chance, have seen it?'

There was a long silent moment, that Castiel wanted to fill petting some fur. He tapped his fingers on the mantelpiece instead.

'lmfao man! u rite like a teacher'

'I am a published writer. You haven't answered my questions yet. Shall I type them again?'

'okay, okay, sure name's Dean and no I've just seen the picture on the ad.'

Castiel was frowning even more.

'May I ask why you're sending texts, then? I did not put my cellphone number so that strangers can harass me.'

'im not a stranger and i'll show u creepy if you want cose that was me being friendly'

'I don't recall meeting any Dean so you'll have to explain that to me.'

'i'm wounded'

Castiel put down his cell. This was getting absurdly useless. He should go write a chapter. Or look for the cat again, maybe in the building's corridors.

So that's what he did. To pass the time, he practiced disowning Gabriel. He should make a brand new acquaintance, someone that would care for him for a change and not just ask for money. He was so immersed in it that his butt bumped into another butt in the hallway:

"Shit!"

"I am very sorry, sir. I should have watched where I was going."

"Shit, shit, shit, I had it and now it's left again."

Castiel looked up at the man. He was familiar. He was also beautiful and for a moment, Castiel forgot about his search. In fact, he forgot everything, including his own name.

He tried to stop gaping and say something. What he did remember was the man's remark:

"Can I ask what it is you just lost?"

"Your cat, man!"

Cogwheels starting turning in Castiel's slowed-down mind. Yes, he had lost his cat, but how did this man... Oh yes, it was Mr Winchester, the new tenant at 12 B. He had helped Castiel carry his groceries inside once and another time, a few weeks ago, he had taken out jumper cables out of his car trunk and started Castiel's car. He had meant to find a way to thank him for that but had forgotten. Which didn't seem credible right now. How was it he hadn't noticed the man's gorgeous handsomeness, his emerald green eyes, his freckles... Maybe because it was the first time they had been so close to each other. In fact, the grocery thing had taken place on an evening and the starting-the-car-or-Castiel-will-be-late-for-an-important-meeting had been, of course, very early, so both time the man's features had been in the dark (and boooooy, what a waste!)

Such a line of thought led Castiel to realize he was still too close to the face in question and he took a step back:

"You found my cat?" The hope was kindling his heart. Mr Winchester scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed for some reason:

"Yeah... I think so... I saw this long-haired tabby and I was about to grab it, when it ran to the stairs."

"Oh... Hum... My cat is short-haired. I think it was Mrs Talbot's cat."

"Oh, shit! I'm sorry man!"

Castiel fidgeted, then asked, shyly:

"I appreciate you helping though, would you mind... I wouldn't want to impose... If we search together, it might be more efficient."

The man grinned, blinding Castiel with perfect white teeth. Suddenly, he remembered something:

"You sound a lot like... Would you be the one who texted me numerous times earlier?"

The smile fell and the eyes dropped. Castiel felt like a fool.

"Yeah. I saw your name on the ad and I remembered you and I thought I would offer to help but you didn't seem to know who I was and you wrote about harassment and all so I let it go."

"I do remember you, but I only know your last name Mr Winchester."

"Oh, then, okay." He held his hand to Castiel: "Dean Winchester, happy to be of assistance."

"Castiel Nov..." The handshaking was proving charged with sparky electricity. Castiel gulped and finished: "Novak."

"Yeah, I know. I've looked you up after you texted you were a writer. I mayyy have purchased a book."

Castiel beamed. Dean smiled again and they stayed there for a while. After 10 minutes of staring and 0 minutes of cat-searching, Castiel shook himself:

"So, my cat..."

"Oh... sure..."

They canvassed the building, but nothing. Castiel felt sad again. He loved his companion, he couldn't envision writing on his laptop without a purring nuisance lying on the keyboard and blocking his hand. Dean looked at him with compassion:

"I'm sure it'll turn up. Cats need to eat, don't they?"

Castiel nodded and headed to the main stairs. Dean yelled at his retreating back:

"Cas... Wait!"

The unusual nickname didn't make him react right away. Dean jogged to him and he gratefully turned to the amazing sight, drinking him in.

"Would you like to come to my place and have some coffee or tea, or whatever? That way, you won't be alone missing your pet."

"That is very thoughtful of you, Dean. I accept with pleasure."

Dean smirked and led Castiel to his apartment:

"My brother must be in. Don't mind him. He's a freaking green giant, filled with lettuce and all but he's as nice as a puppy. Hey Sammy, I brought a visitor!"

Dean's description was accurate. Castiel instantly wanted to befriend Dean's brother. He didn't want to befriend Dean himself though. What he wanted to do wasn't printable.

Sammy had a bag in his hand and a coat in the other:

"Hey!"

"This is Castiel, he lives on the third floor at 26A."

"Nice to meet you, Castiel. I'm on my way out but I won't be long."

"Where you going, little bro?"

"The rooftop. To feed the wild cats."

Both Castiel and Dean stared at Sam. He frowned:

"What? Do you hate cats?"

"No, no! It's just that I lost my own cat so maybe you have seen it?"

"Oh, okay do you have a photo?"

Castiel was ready to run to his place to print the photo again but Dean nodded and walked away. He came back with the whole ad, minus the cellphone numbers.

"Why did you take it off?"

"Oh, I didn't tell you. The vet secretary saw me grab the last number and she told me the vet had asked her to remove it after that. Apparently lots of people lose their pets and he doesn't want them to invade the board. So I thought I'd take it and look for the cat and then, if I found it, you'd be..."

"Grateful?"

"Relieved?"

Sam snapped his fingers:

"Enough with the eye sex, you two. I thought you wanted to find your cat? I think I saw it by the way."

They ran upstairs. Castiel had never been to the top and he realized his balcony had a ramp leading to it. The cat wasn't allowed out, but maybe Gabriel had thought the balcony wasn't really "outside" the apartment. Castiel would still kill him but he might dispense with the torturing.

The rooftop was empty of any feline. Sam put down some enormous food bowls and started filling them. Three seconds after (No, Castiel wasn't exaggerating), some enormous tomcats appeared out of thin air.

They ran to the bowls, hissing at each other. Dean looked at them with a scowl. Castiel was busy looking at Dean's forehead (and head in general) so he forgot to look at the cats.

Dean knelt and grabbed one:

"It looks less creepy in person. Especially compared to those ones. It's as if I spotted you amongst Hell's angels. We'd better take him in."

So, they left Sam with the scarred, gigantic monsters. He was looking at them with a tenderness that might come from being enormous himself. Castiel's cat was a little scratched around the eyes. He planned a visit to the vet, to get him up to date with his vaccinations and also to complain about the ad board politic.

"Glad you've found it, Cas. I'll leave you alone, then."

This time, it was Cas who yelled at a back.

"Wait!"

Dean turned:

"Yes?"

"I would like to thank you for all your timely interventions. Can I cook dinner for you and your brother?"

Dean bit his lip and nodded:

"Sure, Cas... You want me to bring something?"

'You' Cas wanted to answer. Instead he said it with his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N : here's the same story but told in a less formal manner...**

**Dean's POV**

"We can't afford it."

"We can, Dean. I have a lawyer's salary now. I'll pay the rent and with what you make at the garage, you can pay for food and supplies."

Sam's face should be illegal. Of course as the professional debater he damn was now, he would overturn it and then Dean would still be faced with a six-foot-five-tall puppy. He sighed and shut up.

The apartment was on the second floor, with no balcony but a nice view to the street trees. Sam smiled and Dean felt home, for the first time ever.

There were all kind of tenants, some really rich, other more like him and Sammy. In general they were nice but they kept to themselves. Dean was okay with that, he didn't like people poking in his business.

Sam was making friends at his job, he was good at that. Dean fit in at the garage, he went for beers with some of the other mechanics. Life was good.

There were a few hot chicks in the building like the Talbot girl, all blond and big-boobed. Dean was thinking about asking her out one evening, as he parked his car when he spotted a man struggling with his grocery bags. Dean smiled and went to his rescue. He was rewarded by a very nice smile. When he got to his own apartment, he handed the bags back and wished him good-night. As he went to bed, he thought that Miss Talbot looked nice but snobbish. No need to try his luck.

Every morning after that, he looked around for the dark hair and the shy smile. One day, he saw him but he was frowning down at his car. Dean knew that look, it was the one you had when you tried to scold your engine into starting. Dean chuckled and offered his assistance. As it turned out, the man had forgotten to turn on his lights. It was an easy fix and they talked a little as the battery got charged. They exchange first names. The man had a voice that porn stars would kill to have. Dean blushed but luckily it was barely dawn so you couldn't see it.

One day, he borrowed Sam's laptop. There was a big cheesy picture of a cat as a background. Now that was good. Dean couldn't wait and confronted Sammy the same evening:

"Kitties, Sammy, really? Shall I order your crochet kit?"

Sam's bitchface was strangely forced. He actually looked hurt, which was weird, Sam was always a good sport when it came to teasing, especially with Dean. Even his reply: "Sure, we can put it next to your guitar scores" was half-hearted.

So, Dean, who loved his brother more than anything else in the world (including his car) decided to go look for a kitten.

One day, he walked around the building, to stretch his legs. As he finally spotted 'Novak' on one of the third floor doors (one of the most expensive apartments), he decided they were stretched enough and walked downstairs discreetly.

He ran a few scenarios in his head, as in asking for sugar but they all seemed lame. He would have to wait to randomly run into the guy and work it in the conversation. He could do that, he was a strong, confident man.

On Saturday, he walked to the vet to ask about kittens. As he waited for his turn, he looked at the ad board. There was no poster about litters but there was a very very weird photo of a cat. Dean really hoped the animal didn't actually have red eyes, or fur this color. Whoever took the photo sucked at it big time. His mocking grin changed when he saw the name at the bottom: 'Castiel Novak.'...

He had no idea how you even pronounced that name, but in a way, it fit the guy. He looked different, unique. And what do you know, there were little pieces of paper with his cell number on them. There were three left and Dean felt selfish. He looked around and when he was sure nobody would see, he snatched all of them.

"Excuse-me sir."

Fuck! He had been seen, and by the secretary, just his luck.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Could you tell me if there's any phone number left on that ad?"

"Hum... No?"

"Oh, then I'll take it off. My boss doesn't want the space to be wasted. He says that if there's no number left, people won't know who to call so it's going into the trash. Could you be so kind and hand it to me?"

Dean felt horribly guilty. Casteeal... Castiieel... Cas, must be feeling bad without his pet and here he was, lessening the chances. He took a quick decision.

"Well, in that case, do you mind if I take it? I have to be sure I've really seen the right cat."

"Oh of course, great idea. So what can I do for you?"

But Dean wasn't in the mood for kitten searching anymore. He could come back later, Sam wasn't in a hurry, while there was a lost cat to find and bring back to a grateful owner... A mission worthy of Dean...

He toyed with his cell, opening and closing the text app until Sammy sighed:

"Why are you so nervous tonight? Something wrong at work?"

"No, no... it's nothing serious."

"Good, then can you stop pacing like that? You're getting _me_ nervous."

Dean flipped him the bird but his heart wasn't in it.

He erased the text that were too bold or too stupid or too flirty until he was left with zero ideas. He went to his room and looked at the cat's picture. Who could love that thing? Dean liked cats in general and would admit to it under enough torture, but some cats were just creepy.

So he wrote that and his thumb disobeyed him and sent the text. He bumped his head on the wall.

"Dean, what's going on?"

"Nothing!"

He went back to the kitchen. He would cook his own dinner (he and Sam had agreed to disagree and didn't look at the other one's plate anymore). When the cell beeped, Dean's heart ran a mile just for fun.

But the answer was not dismissive. It was also perfectly written. Dean grinned, charmed, and decided to keep up with the humor.

The guy was a writer? He must be selling well if he could afford 26A. Dean was impressed and a little humbled. But the next reply wasn't nice. He was so offended that he sat heavily on the chair, making Sam jump in surprise.

He sent an angry answer and regretted it immediately. Cas' next text was the last straw. He didn't know who he was. Dean threw the cell against the door. The battery came out. Sam looked at him with a smirk and Dean went to his room to keep the scrap of his dignity.

It turned out he didn't have any dignity left. First he looked up Novak and bought a book online (He never did that. Not that he didn't read but he liked bookshop better.) Then he wondered if he could find a cat that looked exactly the same in a shelter and try to see if it would work. His last plan was to find the cat and then bring it and sneer and look at the man feel bad for badmouthing him (and if instead he were grateful and wanted to thank Dean accordingly, well Dean could show some generosity). He managed to believe himself for about five seconds.

Then a cat showed up. It was a tabby just like the photo and Dean felt triumphant:

"Kitty, kitty, kitty... come here, come to uncle Dean" God, he needed help.

The cat came, like all feline did, cautiously and taking detours. He was finally sniffing Dean's hand when he felt an ass push into his.

The cat had vanished. Dean swore and prepared himself to yell at the interrupter but his words were caught in his throat.

When looks had been handed down, Cas must have been at the front. His eyes were so fucking blue, Dean decided it was his new favorite color (He never had one, he only had a favorite food).

He felt stupid when he saw the hope in his eyes and not only he hadn't caught the cat but it wasn't the right one. He was ready to go home, his tail between his leg when he heard:

"I appreciate you helping though, would you mind... I wouldn't want to impose... If we search together, it might be more efficient."

If someone had paid Dean a million dollars not to smile at that instant, he'd still be poor. In fact loads of money didn't compare to the blush on Cas' face. The man was awkward but he was smart and put two and two together. Dean couldn't catch a break.

Yet, somehow things turned out fine and he even gathered enough courage to lure him to his place. He had forgotten Sam was still there and warned Cas. He wondered what Sam would think about him. They were both nerds after all and a writer...

He didn't have to say any of that. Sam was carrying a big-ass bag. He was feeding wild cats. Dean felt bad for having postponed his kitten search but rallied when Castiel suggested his cat could be among the strays.

He felt like a stalker when he went to fetch the photo, but there was no time to lose. A happy Castiel would be easier to ask out (okayyyyy... Dean just wanted to make him happy, sue him!) He lied through his teeth about the phone numbers though. To balance it, he owned up to wanting to find Cas' cat and be his hero. Cas was still smart and saw right through him.

Up on the roof, Dean wondered about both his brother's and Cas' taste in animals. Shouldn't cats be cute? In that case, he shouldn't find a kitten. After all, Sam had found abandoned causes (Dean had an idea what that meant for his brother.)

But in the heap of ruffled fur and blind eyes, he saw a cat that was different. Unique. Dean felt a tug in his heartstrings. Castiel was a shit photographer but he knew how to pick pets.

He kept the cat in his arms until he was in the apartment and had to let it go. Castiel looked awkward and Dean realized he had missed his chance or maybe he never had it in the first place. The man was loaded and gorgeous and Dean was... Dean.

"Glad you've found it, Cas. I'll leave you alone, then."

"Wait!"

Dean didn't dare hope but he turned anyway. Castiel looked even more awkward and something clicked in Dean's brain. This was him trying to flirt. It was cute beyond words and Dean knew he was a gone man.

"Yes?"

"I would like to thank you for all your timely interventions. Can I cook dinner for you and your brother?"

Dean did a somersault in his head but stayed in control.

"Sure, Cas... You want me to bring something?"

Cas didn't answer and just stared. Dean gulped.

Cas stayed after dinner, even after Sam, who was yawning pointedly even after Dan kicked him under the table, went to bed. They watched a movie and at the end of it, he was in Dean's laps making out. Dean didn't know the guy who had lost Cas' cat, but he was buying him a Mercedes... well at least a fancy key chain.


End file.
